Journal of Ohio Archaeology

An Exploratory Analysis Of Diachronic Settlement Patterns In Central Ohio

Kevin C. Nolan

Abstract

The Ohio Archaeological Inventory (OAI) is the state database of officially recorded archaeological sites. There are tens of thousands of records. The database is far from complete, but this still represents the largest compila-tion of site-based records. The potential for region-level analysis is vast. I undertake a first-pass, exploratory analysis of all recorded prehistoric sites in eight central Ohio counties. There are definite temporal patterns in the data that complement the fine-scale narratives derived from the more detailed, larger-scale data of intensive survey and excavation. The clearest patterns are associated with the transition from a mobile hunting and gather-ing lifeway to a more sedentary horticultural pattern from the Archaic into the Woodland. The OAI is a valuable research tool that holds much potential to elucidate patterns in the prehistory of the state.